Blog post written by Sarah Lockwood, Cinema & Photography '15, FLEFF Intern, Blairstown, NJ

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of sitting down with Stephanie Khoury - who goes by Steph - a fellow freshman and FLEFF Intern like myself.

Some quick facts about Steph include the following:

• Born and raised in Jefferson, New Jersey (at one time also home to the Ringling Brothers!)
• Major is Documentary Studies & Production
• Minors in Environmental Studies and International Politics
• Is extremely involved on-campus with clubs such as Her Campus, Take Back the Tap, Habitat for Humanity, and more
• Contributes to on-campus journalism through Buzzsaw and SeeSaw

What I found most intriguing about Stephanie was her major - it was not originally her major of choice!

For Steph, high school provided art and video production classes, all of which sparked her interest and creativity. However these alone were not enough to push her in the direction of a definitive college major. She had though halfheartedly about attending an art school or major in art, however the sentiments were not fully realized.

Then began the long, arduous journey towards choosing a college... 

In a sea of college applications and campus tours, Stephanie and her family passed a sign for Ithaca College, a school that some of her friends had recommended in passing. Nearly on a whim, she took the tour and ended up applying - and, eventually, attending!

Steph's interest in documentary works and environmental activism brought her to the Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival - where we are happy to have her this year!